The former Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, Abdulrasheed Maina has been arraigned before the Federal high court, Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over allegation of N100M pension fund fraud.
Maina who was arraigned on 12 count charge arraigned along with his son Faisal, pleaded not guilty to the charge and they were remanded in prison custody.
Maina was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, in Abuja after he sneaked into the country from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The Federal Civil Service Commission had dismissed him in 2013 for absconding from duty.
Maina was later accused of being involved in N2 billion pension fraud for which he was investigated by the Senate Joint Committee on Public Service Establishment and a warrant issued for his arrest while the police declared him wanted.
However, in 2017, Maina returned to the country under controversial circumstances and was reinstated as a Director in the Ministry of Interior.
On September 30, 2019 Maina and his son Faisal were arrested by the DSS and handed over to EFCC which secured court order for the temporary forfeiture of 23 properties linked to him.
When the court resumed, Maina was called and charges were read to him to which he pleaded not guilty. His son Faisal was also arraigned on a separate three count charge for illegal possession of firearms and operating an anonymous account between 2013 and 2016.
In a bail application the Defence counsel, Ahmed Raji told the court that the EFCC had earlier granted the defendants administrative bail , he urged the court to take the bail into cognizance but the prosecution counsel, Mohammed Abubakar opposed the move and urged the court to remand the defendants in police custody.
Justice Okon Abang granted the remand order and fix November 19 for bail hearing.
Faisal is to be remanded at the special Tactical Squad as the court fixed November 6 for commencement of his trial.
